Ten days after a nasty headshot, 30-year-old Patrick Karlgren’s back road begins.
It includes loving shouts about who he looked the most like as a new student — a comedian, movie character, or TV game character — and liquid food.
– She lost six kilograms, says the goalkeeper.
The current Brage, AIK and Randers goalkeeper was lying motionless, unconscious for a short period, after a violent collision with an opponent in a meeting with the Horsens in the Danish League.
– I’ve seen the pictures after that. They are bad. But I understand from the response I received from all sides that many of those who watched it found it very difficult.
Horror memories after Eriksen
– The paramedics ran the defibrillator and there was a lot of activity for ten minutes around me as I was lying on the field. The Danes got what happened Christian Eriksen It’s still fresh on my mind, says Karlgren when I spoke to Sportbladet.
He’s been at home for a few days and the eldest son of two, aged 4, thinks that’ll be enough now.
– Karlgren says I missed a game and now it’s time to play again, Karlgren says and laughs – with some annoyance.
It will be some time before the 30-year-old returns between posts.
– Both jawbones were crushed. I made seven plates that hold the jaws together. It was fortunate that his knee fell on his chin, for if the blow had been higher, the skull bone would have been crushed and the injury would have been worse.
I don’t remember any of the shots or hardly any of the second half. I remember being woken up by the ambulance.
How does this injury affect your football?
– Nothing I hope. I will see our team doctor again in a few days. I was considering using a head protector, but he said he didn’t think I needed it. For now, I’m not intimidated about setting a goal for myself again. I don’t even remember what happened.
You may need to readjust
– I will go on a return visit to check the operation once a week. I hope the jaws heal properly. Obviously, it’s not entirely unusual for you to need to make some sort of adjustment afterwards, so that the sting doesn’t end perfectly. But if necessary, I can do it after the Danish season ends (next summer).
– First, rehabilitation awaits you, jaw rehabilitation. Apparently, I’ll chew the sticks and exercise my jaw and bite, says Karlgren.
For now, it’s all about resting the newly operated jaws.
– It is a very liquid and soft food. Yesterday I tried mashed potatoes with sauce. There are a lot of juices and yogurts right now.
How do you feel when you live on this type of diet?
– It’s a little test. My son devoured sausages with bread before. I was very keen on that. I dream of a fried piece of meat, potatoes, and salad, Karlgren says, and there’s something dreamy in its tone.
How to maintain physical form with these conditions?
– It’s tough. I lost six kilos when I couldn’t eat or exercise properly. Muscle mass quickly disappears.
I shouldn’t chew anything hard for six weeks, and I shouldn’t do anything that raises the pulse too much for 6-8 weeks. Now he is tall but calm walks at first. But overall, I still think it’s better than expected. I thought everything would be more difficult. After all, we have a five-week restroom break now, too.
– When I start, it will be the gym and a lot of food …
We have been called a lot
Dozens of people called him in: the opposing player who hit Karlgren, the opposing team Horsens sent flowers and greetings poured in from Krya på dig.
When the goalkeeper, still on the powerful painkillers, posted a greeting that included new photos from his hospital bed on Instagram, many breathed a sigh of relief – and flickered their smiles.
– There were some hilarious calls about those pictures. I introduce it. I can barely remember taking them either…
What do you hear?
– I still had my mustache on and my face was really swollen. My wife thinks I look like Dr. Doolittle. Others thought I was similar to David Sunden (comedian) or Super Mario (cartoon).
Who do you prefer…?
– David Sunden I think it’s funny. He has qualities that I don’t have and I lack them. Karlgren says it looks totally fine as a temporary change, and laughs again – a little nervous.